


Brain Junk from 8pm

by Terezilover222



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Plot? What Plot?, Shite i decided to write at 8 at night, i'll try to keep the plot guys, shitty basically self insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-29
Updated: 2018-01-30
Packaged: 2019-03-10 21:46:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13510401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Terezilover222/pseuds/Terezilover222
Summary: I was sad and tired so I decided to make this gem of a story.





	1. It's U

**Author's Note:**

> This was written at 10 at night and quite frankly, is very random. I will try and keep writing this at night cause I like how they come out. Probs will proof read in the morning.

 She was tired. For once she felt.  
 Tired and alone, but in a good way.  
  
  After watching a movie with her friends and spending her energy keeping a happy face on. She, Lucia Johanna Ellsworth, was tired. Honestly tired.   
Key chain in hand, she fell onto her bed in the dark of her bedroom. Windows drawn up as to look out to the other and neighboring houses.   
The bed was soft, having sheets of some sorta... fluff, she didn't know. Her mom bought it for her so she didn't exactly pay attention to it.  
If the lights were on in her room in this moment, you'd see the absolute mess Lucia's room was. Some would say that reflected what her mind was like or who she was as a person, maybe it did. Maybe it didn't. Who was to say?   
  
   The itch to write shook her. She rolled her key chain in her hands, little enamel dangles clinking together as they rolled in her hands.  
She tried to suppress the itch, but alas now her brain was refusing to sleep.   
With a sigh she got up, shuffled through the dirty clothes and toys strewn on the floor, opened her laptop, and began to write. Listening to a new indie album on Youtube.   
She was happy with the first sentence, enjoying the fact she was in the zone when her father swung the unlock-able door of her 'dungeon' open.  
She wanted to growl at him in annoyance, to tell him to leave her alone mid sentence. But, instead she sighed softly as her father rambled on and on about how he hated her mother, how the mother was ignorant, etcetera etcetera.  
  
   Lucia kept a straight face, barely listening to him, only replying with soft hums and nods. Trying her best not to just scream at him to leave her alone and that she was too tired for this shit.  
Finally, she believed at least, he had gotten the point she wasn't in the mood.   
Once this unavailing conversation came to an end and she was left in the shattered pieces of a once peaceful mindset.   
  
Once again, she found a reason to despise her parents. She just wished to be left alone sometimes, but they never did.   
She attempted to settle again, get in the zone, blare more music more loud, stare out the dark window into the slightly less dark night.   
Alas no use, so why not go for a walk to somewhere to relax and be alone. Why not. Do that forever?  
  
 Run away for having shit reasons other than your a privileged white chick who just hates her parents being on her ass all the time? Fuck it, why not.   
  
 Lucia started by packing changes of clothes, pads and tampons, make up, hair products, and some other hygiene stuff.   
Then her wallet, then her laptop and it's charger. Phone fully charged and some headphones on.  
And boom, she was essentially ready.  
One last text to her friends explaining what she was doing, a goodbye to her girlfriend and promise she'd come back to her someday, and then she left.  
   
 Lucia just slipped a coat on over her pajamas and put her worn P.E. sneakers on, not exactly caring about fixing her makeup or her extremely messy curls that had been sloppily thrown into a ponytail hours ago and has surely become loose.   
Her father tried to ask her 'where the fuck are you going?' but she just kept on... Walking. She couldn't give less of a shit than right now. Her father didn't even try and stop her until she walked outside and down the driveway.   
Listening to the same Indie album that was on Youtube.   
  
 Lucia dad did try at least, to stop her. He tried to drive with a car next to her. But when she branched off into the woods he had no choice but to leave the car and quite frankly, he didn't have his shoes on.   
Lucia smiled contently as she disappeared into the woods, key-chain still in hand.   
And that once on the other side, the forest stopped to open to a bus stop.    
  
_This is a start._    
  
  
 Lucia sat at the bus station until she fell asleep on the glass, only waking up when someone yelled at her to ask if she was getting on. In a daze she remembered her situation and got up.  
"Yeah, here." She tiredly slapped a five into the drivers hand as she shuffled to a random bus seat, quickly slipping back to sleep inside the musty vehicle.   
When Lucia's eye's opened, she was pleased to see an entirely new place.  
 Foggy, quiet, empty.  
It was still dark out but Lucia could tell the sun would rise soon. She knew.  
When the bus stopped next she exited, thanking the driver with a jumbled mess of noises and grunts before stepping off into a puddle. She stretched, the bus pulling away and leaving her across from what looked like a diner.   
  
_Sweet,_ she thought, _work._

 Lucia entered the neon-lighted diner, eye's scanning for a worker before approaching the counter and leaning over as an older man came over, his dark skin contrasting to the light attire he had on.   
"Can I help you young lady?" He questioned, though Lucia paused for a moment pondering if she should talk to him she had decided already before she needed work. So;  
"Do you have any job openin's. I'm new in town, need a place to get some cash so.. Found this place and thought I'd give it a shot." Her accent, to this man, was hinted with British, something slack about the way she talked.  
 No, she obviously wasn't actually a Brit, but from her voice she carried it with her.  
Whether it be from living there for some time or just watching to many BBC shows.   
 The man clicked his tongue, looked the girl up and down and sighed, "Yeah, why the heck not. Name's Pop, I'll teach you tomorrow how to make the milkshakes. Show up at Four PM sharp. No funny business." The big man turned, "She's what, a large? I'll get her uniform all set." Pop spoke to himself then walked away.   
  
 That was much easier than Lucia thought it would have been.   
  
She found herself starting to walk to a booth, off to the right of where she had entered.  
 "Hey Pop," Her head turned to the man, his eye's already looking towards her at the mention of his name,  
 "Mind if I get a milkshake? Vanilla with some peanut butter thrown in there."   
Pop gave her a thumbs up and went to work.   
 Lucia thoughtlessly tossed her bag into the booth, sliding in and using it as a pillow of sorts. She sighed and rubbed her eyes, rubbing away a gross feeling of dryness.  
Pops had thrown the drink together in a matter of minutes before sliding it onto her table. A soft 'thank you sir' left Lucia's dry lips as she mindlessly drank the cold and delicious shake.   
  
 The door opened with a chime of a bell, a boy had entered, and now there was a boy slid into the seat across from her. Granted she was tucked nearer to the corner of the booth and hidden into the shadow of a wall, she didn't realize how hidden she must have been.   
 The boy had slipped on his headphones over a grey crown-beanie that mostly hid his dark hair aside from the bangs that curled off to his right. His bangs were illuminated in the light of a now open laptop in-front of him. Lucia looked to the boy, then to Pop who only shrugged and continued washing off the counters, then back to the boy.   
Lucia decided to not say anything and finish her drink in the silence of this boy and him tapping words into his laptop.  
Instead of striking friendly conversation she opted to stare out the window and watch as rain started to hit the window as the first sign of sunrise began to peak over the tree's.    
  
  
  
  
"You can talk to me you know."  
  
 The silence was broken by the once silent boy, Lucia jumping slightly in surprise that he knew she was there. She looked to him with a slight fear he might be mad at her, he only seemed... Mildly annoyed by her presence. His lips were pulled in a nearly straight line, his eyebrows tilted in a way that darkened his eyes and made him seem intimidating.   
 Lucia stuttered with her words, not expecting that she was going to be talking with anybody this early in the morning. Let alone a very   
"Oh-I-ah. Um, sorry?" Words sometimes were just not her forte.  
 The boy sniffed, scrunching his nose a bit then looked back to his laptop screen. His fingers tapping again at the letters on the keyboard rhythmically.   
  
"Jughead Jones."   
  
 "S-sorry?" Lucia's fingers tucked loose strands of her curls back into place out of a nervous tick.   
 "My name, I'm Jughead Jones..... The Third." His eye's were glued to his screen though he managed to make conversation. Lucia couldn't tell if it was brain freeze or lack of social abilities but she just couldn't talk today.   
  
"Lucia? Lucia Ellsworth... Uh, nice to meet you... Jughead?" Lucia's eye's drifted to her drink, attempting to hide her absolute confusion.

  
_What the fuck kinda name is Jughead?!_

There was a silence that followed. Maybe it lasted to long, maybe it was just all in her head that it lasted just a few seconds longer than it should have.  
This silence was definitely going on for too long.   
  
The silence was still there.  
Yup.   
Not. Going away.   
  
Pop handed Jughead, seemingly out of nowhere, a burger and some fries with a cup of steaming coffee. Lucia dug open her wallet and handed Pop a fiver,  
 "Keep the change." Said Lucia with a gentle tone. Pops nodded in return and walked away with his money in hand while Jughead was starting to pick at his fries.  
Lucia kicked her legs up onto the seats cushions. Picking at the fluff of her pajama's.   
She definitely looked like a mess.   
  
"Where are you from?"   
Once again the boy, Jughead, was the one to start the conversation that promptly ended with "Hopefully no where near here." from Lucia.   
He seemed thrown off by this, his fingers hesitating to type again. Instead he took a bite of his burger and shifted the laptop out from in front of him, putting his headphones on his shoulders.   
He leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. They were crossed in front of him, which also could describe how he felt about this girl. Crossed. 

"Why are you in pajama's?"  
  
"Why do you care?"  
  
"Why shouldn't I care?"   
  
The questions were thrown back and forth for a moment followed by a pause. Silent and long as the two stared into the others eyes.  
Then Jughead clicked his tongue in as response to Lucia not continuing their argument.  
"Because there's a pretty stranger in my booth." His head wiggled a bit to put some emphasis on his words, showing how he felt like this was his own home and that Lucia just waltzed into it.   
Lucia rolled her shoulders. Cracked her knuckles. Placed her elbows on the table and laced her fingers only to rest her chin lazily on them.   
"You don't own this booth Mr. Jones," Her eye's flickered up to his blue-green ones, "and frankly, I don't need to tell you shit."   
Her hand grasped her bags strap as she stood up.   
"See ya Kingy."   
Lucia slipped out of the building quickly. Making her way into the barely breaching sunlight. She looked to her hand for a moment, remembering the key-chain she had slipped over her finger like a ring, the three enamel dangles clinking and shining together.   
  
A Clock.   
A Swan.  
And a dog.  
 


	2. Taking Care of Things

 Lucia had spent the rest of the week walking around town when she wasn't working in Pop's. Pop taught her the basics of everything and she'd often run into Jughead at some odd time of night. Sometimes alone, sometimes with his friends.  
Ended up coming across a school after a few days of walking around.   
Last she checked today was Monday so class was probably about to start. Before she entered a familiar voice made her spin on her heels.   
  
"Hey."  
  
 'Jughead' was the first thing in her mind when the person spoke up. Sure enough, the tall and dark-haired boy stood a few feet away.   
"Hey Kingy, you go to school here?" Lucia threw her thumb over her shoulder in a motion towards the school.   
Jughead nodded with a slight shrug, "Yeah, you?"   
  
"I gotta enroll."   
  
Jughead hummed and continued past Lucia. "See you around Lucia."   
"You too Kingy." She softly replied, trying her hardest not to follow him in and just hang out with him for the rest of the day.  
  
When it was the weekend she decided to enroll herself.   
Lucia poked her nose inside the building, the large doors pushing in to welcome a musty-book smell into her nose.  
 Her sneakers squeaked against the polished flooring, finding her way through one door into a smaller room.   
  
'Principle W. Weatherbee' a once shiny brass plaque said on a door. Lucia knocked gently, a gruff 'come in' emitting a few seconds later.   
The door creaked as Lucia pushed it open, "Um, hello? I-I want to... Enroll into this school."   
  
The principle was an older man, dark in skin tone with graying hair. He looked her up and down, "Where's your parents?"   
 _Ah shit,_ Lucia internally panicked, "They um... I'm moving here sir, they sent me to come and get all set up."   
"Ah well, they sent you to the wrong place. Go down the street to the Education Center, you can enroll through there." The man looked back down to his desk, specifically at some files.   
 Lucia briskly nodded and disappeared from the room, scuttling her way to the building he was speaking of.   
It was a few blocks away, nothing too insane. As she walked she enjoyed the sight, though she didn't see or hear someone following her.  
  
 When she finally was directed towards the right place there was a round and plump woman behind a desk.  
Lucia rested her forearms on the raised lip of the wooden desk, fingers rapping across the top before she opened her mouth.   
"I would like to enroll in the Riverdale Highschool please."   
  
The woman looked up, her eye's were soft much like the rest of her body. "Oh yes! No worries, papers please!"   
Lucia gulped, "Papers?"  
"Well yes, proof of your age, proof of your home location, and immunization record."   
Lucia blinked for a moment in panic.   
"I-I um..." Lucia patted her pockets for a moment, trying to think of what to do or say.   
  
 "Lucia, there you are!"   
  
Once again, the name 'Jughead' hit her brain like a load of bricks.   
 The boy ran up to her and handed her some papers. He leaned in to her ear, "Just go along with it."   
When he pulled back, he slung a arm around her shoulder with a goofy smile.  
 "She dropped her papers on the way here! You gotta start zipping that bag of yours up all the way!" He explained, teetering on his heels.   
Lucia nodded quickly and placed the files on the desk.   
  
The plump woman took them and scanned them with an intense gaze.  "Proof of Birth Date." The woman looked up at the two through her small square glasses.   
 Lucia jumped and dug through her bag, pulling out a passport. It was only used once but, she kept it with her just by the chance she'd need it.   
Lucia passed the booklet to the woman who, once again, scrutinized it for any imperfections.   
  
The woman then told them to sit for a while and wait while she filed everything in.   
Jughead and Lucia sat awkwardly in a waiting room, watching everything but each other.   
  
"Why?"  
This time Lucia started the conversation.   
Jughead looked to her with raised eyebrows,   
"Well, you obviously don't have a home here. I saw you walking around town day and night. When you mentioned you might go to the school I knew a kid who just ran away wouldn't have everything they'd need to actually go to school. So. I got a few of my friends to help me." Jughead slouched in his seat, Lucia processing everything.   
  
"Still. Why? I barely know you, you barely know me. Why?"   
  
Jughead took in a sharp breath, "You remind me of a girl I once knew. She was young and innocent." A small smile played his lips. "Oh, they'll need records from your last school by the way.... You'll have to do that one on your own." Jughead patted her shoulder before getting up and walking away.   
Lucia's words were caught in her throat, she wanted him to stay for some reason.   
  
  
But before she could-"Miss, you'll be all set now. Just have your school send us the records of your last school."  
"Oh I was, home-schooled. I'll print- Have my parents print up my records though, thanks. I'll have em in a few days."   
  
And Lucia did, everything ran smoothly, she got the documents from her online school, printed them, and brought them in. She smiled contently as she was now officially enrolled into the local school.   
  
That next Monday, she walked into class with her locker key in hand.  
The hideous smell of teenagers and pencil shavings everywhere. The teacher introduced her, and Lucia found her seat and was listening intently to the lesson. Her notebook open in front of her with a pencil she wiggled between her finger tips.   
One interesting lecture on how the Ottomans were defeated by the Polish while attempting to steal the 'Golden Apple' city from Italy and the teens all rushed out to their lockers.   
  
She quickly opened hers and softly smiled as brand new school books were neatly placed in it, a little yellow note on top.  
"Hope everything goes well, remember to zip up your bag dear! -Carly"   
  
 _Carly, must have been the lady at the office. How nice of her!_  
  
\------  
  
The day ended when the last bell rang and every teen in the building flocked outside. Lucia was tired, not used to the amount of effort it took to be in a public school. She, instead, shot off to the side. Going into the girls locker to shower and brush her teeth.   
The warm water had removed most of the grime from her body and the minty after-taste of her toothpaste finished it off. She slipped on her clothes, realizing she was on her last pairs of clean outfits.   
A soft "Ahem" made her turn. 

 "Hello there."   
A dark haired girl with beautiful eyeliner and probably the prettiest outfit on was standing in the doorway. Lucia pulled her hair up into a ponytail, "Hello." She replied awkwardly.   
  
 "You're homeless. Right?"   
Lucia nearly choked when the girl mentioned it. "I-I.... Yeah, I guess. Look if you're here to make fun of me I don't have the time. I have a job to go to and I seriously don't wanna be late." Lucia walked towards the doorway, the girl just stepping aside. Lucia's eye's flickered from the door to the girl.   
 "I'm not here to pick on you, I'm also not surprised you don't remember me. I'm Veronica. I'm new here too... Sorta, I came here a few days ago. Let me drive you to your work? Pop's, right?"   
Lucia looked to Veronica, her hand finding a still wet lock of hair and tucking it to her ear. "Yeah. S-sure. Thank you."   
  
 Veronica lead Lucia to a REALLY nice car, "Jump in, I'm heading over there anyway." Veronica slipped into the drivers seat while Lucia awkwardly threw her bag in the back and slid into the passenger side seat. Veronica drove quite well surprisingly.   
Once at the diner, Veronica parked and made her way inside. Lucia followed quickly, her bag thrown over her shoulder. The clinking of her key chain on the bag reminding her of what she had now.   
Freedom.   
  
 She walked into the diner, the smell of burgers and ice cream mixing together in the air. Veronica smiled as she sat at a booth. "I'm waiting Lucy." She laughed softly. Lucia jumped and ran to the back, changing into her uniform and rushing to Veronica.   
 "What can I get you?"   
 "Double Chocolate Milkshake. Hold the whip-cream tonight."   
Lucia smiled and scuttled to behind the counter. A few people came in that afternoon, and finally Pop told her that her shift was over for tonight and to get some rest seeing as it was a school night.  
Lucia thanked Pop and proceeded to flop onto the seat across from Veronica with a sigh.   
 "God, thanks for staying around by the way. Means a lot," Lucia stretched her shoulders and leaned forward. "oh and... While I was scrubbing the dishes I remembered who you were Veronica."   
Veronica raised an eyebrow, "Is that so?"  
Lucia softly smiled, "You're friends with Jughead, right? And Archie and that nice girl....B..Betty? I think that was her name, right?"   
 Veronica nodded, smiling, "Yeah that's right. You make a pretty good milkshake by the way."   
Lucia blushed, "Ah well it's nothing really, thanks though..."  
  
"So..." Veronica sipped some melted ice cream from the bottom of her glass. "You have a place to stay? Or do I need to make one of the nerds take you in?" Veronica softly laughed, Lucia on the other hand was quite panicked.   
 "No no! You don't have to ask them I uh, I normally just find a bench to chill on."  
  
"A bench?" Veronica, once again, raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Alright that's it, I'm driving you to Archies."   
Lucia blinked, "W-what? No! I b-barely know him and I don't wanna be a burden onto him I-"   
"Well you're gonna get to know him, come on." Veronica grabbed Lucia's hand and tugged her away, having already payed for her shake hours ago.   
  
Lucia did her best to not be dragged to Archie's house but Veronica was persistent. And finally, Lucia gave up.   
When they arrived it was well into the night and Lucia was sure everyone must have been asleep inside. But yet when Veronica knocked, a very tired looking man opened up.   
He yawned in a greeting and stepped aside, calling for Archie to come down. Archie, a red-head Lucia had often seen at Pops after school, walked down and waved to Veronica.   
"Is this the girl Jug was talking about?" He tiredly pointed a finger.   
  
Jughead.   
The name hit her again. Did he put them up to this? She was gonna kill him next time she saw him...  
The older man perked up, "Oh! It is is it?" He looked to Lucia, "Lucia... Correct?"  
Lucia nodded at him, he softly laughed in reply. "Cool name."   
  
So the plans were made and explained to Lucia, a bed roll had already been set up for her in Archie's room. She could essentially live in the house as long as she payed a rental fee at the end of each month. She felt like this was fair and agree'd.   
She would have felt guilty otherwise.   
Archie tiredly lead her to his room and pointed to a sleeping bag. "Sorry it's not," Archie yawned in the middle of his sentence as he flopped onto the bed. "not much, oof, goodnight."   
Lucia looked around, placed her bag gently down, and quickly removed her shoes before snuggling into the temporary bed. Why the fuck were so many people being so nice to her?


	3. Brightside

 

  Lucia slipped into a chair at school. It was almost nauseating how horrible it smelt in the schools lounge room. The lights were a more normal shade for lights compared to the ones that lit the halls in a pure white shine. But despite her best attempts of finding a nice place to spend the schools free-period she couldn't get away from the group of teens she's been hanging with all because of her two closest friends since coming here.   
  
 Jughead and Veronica. Well, she didn't know if she could consider Jughead a friend. They spoke little but would often just hang around each other, enjoying silent company while either Jughead wrote on his laptop or they were just tired from school and were eating lunch together. They never were very open with each other though.   
 Sure they'd talk about some interests whenever they talked to each other but they never delved into what happened before Lucia showed up really. And Lucia was fine with it.  
 Now, Veronica was a different story.  
 Veronica was quick to gain her friendship, they'd often talk about their lives before coming to Riverdale. Turned out they both had been living complete different lives. While Veronica used to be a basic bitch who'd go clubbing every Friday night where as Lucia preferred to just stay home and would Skype with her friends and talk about Star Wars and how they should make a band.   
 Now they were closer than most would expect, but the bond between two new kids and basically having the same identities as 'Princess and the Popper' they were nearly inseparable now.  
Lucia hoped it stayed like that...But right now....  
  
 Not often did Lucia feel like she wanted to get away from her friends, but at the moment. She absolutely did. With Reggie and the rest of the gross Jock-stereotyped boys sitting in the only nice chairs in the lounge talking about a murder.   
 Specifically Jason Blossoms murder.   
 Lucia walked behind Veronica, who's eye's were glued to Betty from across the room.  
Berry was quietly watching with a nervous and motherly look at the purple-wearing jock leader as he talked shit about someone, mostly directed at Jughead.  
The curly haired girl nudged the party queen. "You should ask her out." Lucia whispered to Veronica, who nearly jumped with the sentence. Her cheeks warmed to match her blush,   
"Shh, someone might hear you..." Veronica became a level of bashfulness that could be described as '2 year old meeting a new person and hiding behind their moms legs'.   
 Lucia softly laughed, which was suddenly cut off with 

'-Reggie, can you spell it?' and then a slam of a chair being pushed back. Lucia's voice was caught in her throat as everyone was watching a scene unfold.  
Reggie went up to Jughead, Archie stepped in front of him, protecting his friend.   
 "Shut the hell up Reggie" Archie's calm voice was nearly muffled from Reggie's threat to attack Jughead, Archie actually having to push the bigger boy back.  
 Veronica quickly stood, "Boys." Her voice was laced with the slightest hint of worry. Lucia walked quickly to Jughead and Archie's sides, eye's sternly looking up at Reggie's face. Archie looked to her for a moment, he swore he could have seen the slightest glimmer of absolute fury inside her eyes, just waiting to be released.   
 Reggie sized Archie up, "What do you care Andrews?"   
Archie took a deep breath, trying to defuse the situation. "Nothing, just leave him alone." Lucia could already see Reggie's gears spinning as a nasty smile broke onto his face.   
  
  
 "Holy crap," Reggie shifted his weight back and forth as his smile grew into a soft laugh, "did you and Donny Dark-o kill him together? Was it some pervy-" Archie turned to look at Lucia and Jughead mid-speech coming from Reggie, Lucia's eye's locked with his and he knew something was wrong and that she wasn't alright.  
  
"-blood brother thing?"  
   
Archie inhaled and shoved Reggie who's smile faltered instantly, his hands grabbing Archie by the jacket and driving him backwards. "Wait!" Jughead screamed, but Lucia was already on it. 

 

-flashback-  
  
 _"Dad I don't really need to be taught how to defend myself. I already know basics and stuff." Lucia was ten today, her father had taken her to a gym to practice self defense. Her dad shook his head, "No Lucy you need to learn how. Basics wont help you save someone else. Now, again, you have no weapons. Someone is trying to grab your friend. What do you do?"_  
  
-flashback end-  
  
 Lucia was in no way stronger than Reggie. Other than maybe smarts. But when it came to strength, she knew she'd be fucked.   
But did that stop her from throwing an arm across his throat, locking her hands together, and putting all her weight backwards? Hell no.   
Reggie was thrown off for a moment but then just threw Archie to the floor, doing his best to punch the other teen, landing a pretty heavy one near the end.    
 Jughead was trying to pull Reggie from Archie while he was pulled back, as soon as Lucia heard Jughead let out a garbled yell as he was pulled to the floor Lucia's attention shifted. She wasn't doing much for stopping Reggie so....   
  
 A quick and sharp jab of her elbow to Reggie's back to make him groan in pain and fall forward, a hand trying to clutch his back. Her feet were making her stand, Jughead was being held down by a bigger kid, Lucia quickly just used her foot to push him off, the boys weight being off anyway. She grabbed Jugheads arm and pulled him up with all her strength.   
No doubt she looked frazzled. Jughead fixed his hat and gave a soft 'thank you' to her before going over to Archie, who was knocked out on the ground from one of Reggies more powerful hits.   
Reggie was still whining in pain on the floor, "You fucking bitch!" he howled.   
"Try me asshole, I may be shorter than you but that just makes it easier to punch your fucking dick!" Lucia spat back, venom in her words dying when she saw Betty and Veronica helping sit Archie up.   
  
She sighed and knelt down, "Betty, please go get the nurse?"   
The blonde nervously nodded and rushed away. Veronica gave Lucia a 'you're in deep shit' look and Lucia nodded. "I... I know V... Just lets get Archie some help." 

-

After being scolded vigorously by Principle Weatherbee and barely escaping a sentence of detention on the promise that she'd never do it again and it was all self defense (sorta) Lucia was released back into the world of the living. Her body hummed with a nervousness not seen by the eye but felt by understanding her upbringing.   
 Though she was proud of the fact she had taken down someone, she was worried her friends will think she was too slow. That she failed at what she wanted to do in the first place. But, alas, that wasn't the only thing to worry about.    
 She was at her locker after-school when she felt someone grab her arm and pin her to the locker.  
  
Reggie.  
   
"Hey you little fucking bitch, you left me with quite a bruise. How about I give you some?!" He laughed wickedly, his fist collided with her side and she felt the wind leave her lungs.   
 Reggie continued the assault, leaving her bruised and with a busted lip on the floor. When she slumped forward Reggie knelt down and flicked her on the head.   
"And that's why you don't mess with a bulldog..." He softly laughed while standing up.   
  
 Now, Lucia wasn't one to quote movies openly, but a soft smile brought a memory to her (and the fact that this will in fact, be the lamest thing she's ever done). Captain fucking America.   
Her breath was shaky but she forced it to calm as she slowly got up, feeling like shit but also inspired to be a hero. Her laugh is what caught Reggie off guard.   
 "Oh buddy." Lucia rolled her shoulders, hissing at the pulsing pain that ripped through her muscles when she did.  
 "I could do this all fucking day." Her hands balled up and she curled one as hard as she could into Reggies junk, his eye's bulging as he curled up in pain onto the floor.   
 "I told you...." She spit some blood that had seeped into her mouth from her lip onto Reggie's side. "Perfect dick-punching-height."   
She slammed her locker closed and slung her bag over her shoulder. The dog charm glittering in the pure-white light of the empty hall as it swung loosely from a chain on the bag.   
  
  


 Lucia stepped out silently into the town.  
It was dark and definitely passed the time she had to be at work. She cursed internally as she pulled her phone out and called Pop's, explaining she'd be a bit late tonight. The man said it was fine since it was the first time it had happened then hang up. She huffed into the blue of nearing night. She tiredly jogged her way to work, managing to make it in 15 or so minutes.   
 Sure she had to cut through some alley's and forest areas. But she got there.   
Lucia nearly ran through the whole diner to get to the back as fast as she could, greeting the few co-workers who were there before running into the staff bathroom to wash off her face.  
  
She looked into the mirror, even with the shitty buzzing light in the locked room she could see how bad Reggie had messed her up. Her lip was bleeding, less so now but it was obvious it got hit bad. Her arms were bruised and when changing into her soft yellow and white uniform, she could see the large round bruises Reggie left.   
 She huffed and stepped back out into the diner, the ambiance becoming dimmer and darker with the red neon lights that lined any piece of intrigue around her. Maybe the lighting will hide her bruises?  
  


 After an hour Jughead showed up, she shouted over her shoulder that she was going to take a break for a couple of minutes and quickly slid in front of the tall boy before he could sit.   
After a moment of her looking up at him with her arms crossed, Jughead rolled his eyes, "What-" His annoyed tone was cut off with Lucia speaking up.   
 "Did you get hurt?"  
Her voice was meek, her eye's had softened. Jughead realized she was looking over him to see if he had any visible injuries. His lips drew into a straight line.   
 "Why do you care?" He replied playfully, Lucia shook her head. Now wasn't the time to joke or reference the first time she met him.   
 "Just tell me if you got hurt Juggy. I...." Her fingers brushed away a random curl that had traveled to the wrong side of his face and placed it back with the fringe of black curls on one side of his face. "I just was worried."   
Lucia bit the inside of her lip, flinching away when she noticed Jughead starring at her arm.   
  
 "Lucia."   
Jughead's voice was leaking anger, worry, maybe something of a mix of the two. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the light of a neon sign by the windows.   
"What the fuck is that? You didn't get hit in the fight- Lucia did someone beat you up?!" Jughead lightly grabbed her chin, turning it up into the light as he examined her lips, realizing a now obvious rip that had been bleeding.   
Lucia tugged herself away from him, her arms crossing as her eye's gazed down at the floor. "It's fine Jughead, Archie got knocked out we should be more worried about that..." Her voice trailed off with a soft laugh. But now Jughead was the one who was being serious.   
  
"Who did it?" His voice was cold, she never heard it like that. Lucia glanced up at him, fuck he was... Okay she couldn't lie he was hot when he was mad but now wasn't the time for this. She pushed her shoulders forwards.   
 "Reggie. It's okay I-"   
 "No it's not fucking okay!" He nearly screamed, getting looks from Pop and a girl from behind the counter. Jughead swore inwardly and lowered his voice.   
"I'm gonna fuckin kill him. Did you at least tell Principle Weatherbee?" Jughead slipped into his regular seat, Lucia sliding in across from him with a sigh. "No and no you're not going to kill him. We can deal with him later I just.... Promise me you're okay and you're not lying?" Lucia ruffled her already messy hair, smoothing pieces back into place after.  
Jughead looked up to her after a moment with a sigh, "I'm fine. You kinda saved my ass, but mostly Archie's."  
Lucia laughed bitterly at the statement, "I don't think I did to well, I mean I tried my best but... It didn't really do much..." Her hands were fidgeting with a sugar packet they had randomly nabbed while she was sitting. She stared at the pink paper for a moment before Jughead spoke up again.  
  
"It could have been worse without you there." Jughead shrugged, pulling his laptop out and continuing what he always did when he was alone at the diner.   
  
Write. 


	4. It's all in my head

 It had been a few days since the incident and Lucia had started to become more friendly with other than just Veronica and Jughead. Today she was hanging around Betty.   
Lucia hummed an off key tune as she brained Betty's hair back.   
 "I still am sorry for what happened to you with Reggie Luci. I... It must have hurt." Betty slowly turned around, gently taking Lucia's hands into her own. Lucia stopped weaving the girls locks and looked to her.   
 "It's really nothing, my lip's already healing..." She smiled, pointing to the slight crimson of a tear you could see on Lucia's soft pink lips. And the bruises have started to fade. Nothing I couldn't handle."   
  
 Betty took a deep breath and looked to Lucia. "Can... Can I be upfront with you? Lucia?"   
Lucia blinked for a moment then nodded. "I.... I hated you.... I think some part of me still does you..." Betty rubbed her eye's and Lucia's heart sank.   
 "I just.... When you showed up I already wasn't okay because Archie had turned me down and-and I... When you attempted to protect Archie and Jughead I..." Betty groaned softly. "I just felt so useless? I was so stunned you actually had to tell me to go get help a-and. Jesus I guess I hate you because you're so... So much better at protecting than I am?"   
  
 Lucia rested her hands on Betty's shoulders. "Bets, hey look at me." Lucia's voice was shaky, but so was Betty's. The blue eye'd teen looked up to her frenemy.  
 "You are strong! I don't.. I don't know you that well but I can tell you have something inside you. A protectiveness, a motherly one. One that is kind and sweet. You're accepting of people Betty, I am less so." Lucia stood up, grabbing her bag.  
 "I don't care if you hate me to be honest, I'm glad you told me. And... Betty." Lucia made her way to the girls door, looking over her shoulder as she spoke up again, "You really need to get over Archie, there's someone already who likes you back who you know. They has since you showed up in their lives."   
 Lucia then briskly left, gently saying a 'goodbye' to Betty's mom and dad before escaping and running over to Archie's house.   
   
  
She swung open the door, greeted by Fred and Archie sitting at the dining room table talking about some work. "There's the girl of the hour!" Fred chuckled out, Lucia softly waved as she dug through the cupboard for some poptarts. "Oh, Mr. A, I got you the rent for this month early."   
 Lucia dug into her pocket and pulled out a roll of twenty-dollar bills, handing them to Fred.   
He unrolled it and counted, $200 all there.   
 "Good job kid! Pop's does well, Archie maybe you should start workin' there in the summer!" Fred softly laughed.   
 "Oh uh, I'm gonna head out again. Gonna go see Jughead." Lucia fixed her bag on her shoulders and started on her way out.   
 "Alright! Just try to be home earlier than ten! Okay?!"   
  
The brief discussion was ended when she saw Jughead slipping into Betty's room though a window. Her eyebrows furrowed but continued, surely he'd make it to the time they agreed on for Pops?  
  


 

-

 He was late, he was thirty minutes late. He was never late. Lucia eye'd the outside world through the window when she spotted him.   
  Rather, them.   
 Jughead and Betty, walking hand in hand. Her heart sunk. Why was her heart sinking?   
Why did she feel upset? Why was her arms shaking? Was she cold? Why?   
 The two entered, a smile plastered across both their faces. In the moments she spent with Jughead she had never seen him smile like this.   
 Lucia suddenly felt the motive in her brain to just run. To cry, to show some sort of fear. But she kept a mask over it, a smile.   
  
 "Oh oh oh? What do we have here?" She grinned,  maybe she was grinning too much? Was it obvious that she was hiding something? Jughead's cheeks warmed in the red light as him and Betty slid into the seats across from Lucia.   
 "Jughead asked me out," Betty nudged Jughead as he nervously scratched his neck. "I said yes. I took your words to hear Luci!"   
  
 _Fuck she thought I meant Jughead not... FUCK._  
  


 Lucia nervously laughed and pretended to check a text on the phone, only to glance up to see the two new-lovebirds kissing briefly.   
To explain how Lucia felt in this moment was to describe what it feels like to be drowning. To be sucked down into a dark, pressurized abyss of water that was filling your lungs as you tried to get a hold of something to live off of.  
Lucia cleared her throat, "I uh, I just remembered Veronica.. She wanted to study, sorry I should go. See you..." Lucia snatched her bag and left quickly. Texting Veronica the situation.   
  
 "Be there in a while-V" was the only reply.   
Lucia slipped to behind the building and silently broke down. Her fingers found themselves curled into her hair, catching on knots and curls. When she was done tousling her hair she looked to her hands. Her nails clenched into her palms, biting at the skin. Soon her fists began to punch the cement wall as a soft drizzle started.   
 Her breath was hitching as she tried to get the emotions out. Only stopping when slender fingers grabbed her hands and pulled them back.   
Veronica.   
 "Jesus your hands! You're fucking bleeding Lucia-" Before Veronica could express her worry Lucia flung her arms around Veronica. Sobbing 'I'm so sorry's over and over again until she was lead into Veronica's car.   
 Even then the curly haired girl hadn't stopped apologizing.   
 "Honey it's alright just, just rest I'll let Archie know you're staying at my place." Veronica drapped her coat over Lucia who tiredly rested her head on the car window. Closing her eye's until the tears stopped.  
  
 When Lucia woke up she was in a new place, a bright and colorful edge of a city. She blinked and sat up, Veronica's coat slipping off her shoulder.   
  "Come on, let me show you to my room." Veronica waited at a nice door for Lucia to catch up. Her bag slung over her shoulder, eye's red and puffy. Knuckles no longer bleeding.  
Lucia followed Veronica into the large building, everything seemed so grand. The high ceilings, the green and gold decor. It was... Very fancy.   
"Come on, my rooms up this way."  
  


-

Lucia had lied down with Veronica, Veronica on her back and Lucia on her side. Head propped up by her hand.   
 "I... I'm sorry V I didn't want this to happen to you I..." Lucia rubbed her eye's tiredly. Veronica nodded, "No no I know. And I'm sorry for you."   
Lucia raised an eyebrow.  
 "Why?"  
 "Jughead, duh." Veronica groaned out as she stretched her arms. Lucia furrowed her eyebrows, "What? Like... Me and- No no! I don't.. Like Jughead." She softly laughed. Veronica gave her the famous eyebrow raise.   
 "Right?" Lucia sat up, trying to think in her brain if she actually liked Jughead. She didn't. Right?!  
Veronica softly laughed, "You can't be serious? You think you battered your knuckles up for me and Betty? Honey you're jealous!" Veronica sat up.   
Lucia has never been... Jealous before really. Sure envious but jealous?   
 "No I'm not....Jealous..... Oh fuck I think I am Veronica... What.. What do I do?!" Lucia buried her face into her palms, flinching as her knuckles had to flex to adjust.  
  
 Veronica took in a sharp inhale of breath, "Well we both have two choices. Move on or..." Veronica lied back down, rubbing her temples. "Stay in love and hope for the best."

Yeah. Hope for the best is right. 


End file.
